Training tomorrow's sustainability leaders across Europe
The programme, a collaboration within the ENGAGE.EU European university alliance, is offered by ten partner universities, including Hanken School of Economics. This spring one semester is spent at Hanken and the other abroad at a partner university.
At Hanken the programme is integrated into the international strategy and sustainability master's programme, and the focus is on experiential learning.
“We first devote time to understanding the challenges, and then we focus on tackling them. The learning methods are very experiential throughout. For example, we have a mandatory project course where students work with a startup on a sustainability transformation project”, says Martin Fougère, professor in management and organisation at Hanken.
The programme also includes company visits, panel discussions with practitioners, guest lectures, role plays, debates, and other various practical and experiential methods.
“The programme does not prioritise one sector. It shows that collaboration and interaction between sectors is inevitable if we want to achieve change toward sustainability. Students taking part in the programme can pursue careers across a wide range of fields.”
Personal development
Anna Bartlhuber and Pieter Westdorp are two of the students participating in the programme. Bartlhuber, who is half Czech and half Austrian, moved to Finland in August 2025, and is attending the GSM programme as part of her master’s studies in international strategy and sustainability at Hanken. She appreciates the opportunity to go to another university and will be spending her second semester at the Norwegian School of Economics in Bergen.
Westdorp is an exchange student from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, where he studies strategic management. He will spend the second semester at Luiss University in Rome as part of the GSM programme.
“I chose to attend the programme since it’s connected to business in general. The programme focuses on sustainability but also on personal development and career perspectives”, says Westdorp.
Bartlhuber believes that the programme can support her job search and give valuable insight into different regions.
“I like the fact that we have many guest lecturers and company visits. Learning broadly about leadership has also been a very positive addition. The class is small, so you really get to know each other and work a lot in groups.”
Responsible global leaders
Günter K. Stahl is a professor at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), one of the ENGAGE.EU partner universities collaborating with Hanken on the programme. WU will welcome the next cohort of new students in the fall.
Stahl says that one important principle of the programme is co teaching, meaning that each course is co taught with faculty from partner universities.
“The international character of the programme is a clear benefit. You learn how sustainability is managed in different geographical and cultural contexts, and students collaborate with peers from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.”
Stahl, who was involved in its initial stages, says a programme on sustainability management is needed more than ever.
“Alongside geopolitics and digital transformation, sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our time. We need to educate students to become responsible global leaders.”
Read more about the Global Sustainability Management programme.
Text: Jessica Gustafsson
Photo: Gustaf Hafström and Jessica Gustafsson